The City of Brussels has launched a new project called 'Brussels Writes' with five local cultural associations. It aims to provide extra support to the writing and creative sector.
Almost 24% of writers in the French-speaking community earn a net monthly income of less than €1,000, while 66% report earning less than €500 per month, according to a recent study by non-profit Bela, which works to help authors. "Most authors cannot decently make a living from their work, and face worrying financial instability," the City emphasised.
In response to this, seven new bursaries were introduced by the Brussels City Councillor for Culture, Delphine Houba (PS), intending to create a sustainable and recurring programme.
"The purpose of 'Brussels Writes' is to support emerging scenes in all writing practices by providing tangible financial and material resources," Houba affirmed. The City of Brussels aims to support those utilising various different creative writing forms "to make us dream, think and move us forward."
These bursaries, with their unique specifications and themes connected to Brussels, are run in collaboration with local cultural entities, including cultural centre La Bellone, literary house Passa Porta, the Belgian Comic Strip Centre, and the non-profit Midis de la Poésie.
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From creating audiobooks with Passa Porta, to writing residencies at Maison Poème, or even screenwriting and playwriting, there are a number of promising funding opportunities.
Eligible authors can apply for the grant of their choice to fund their works starting from Monday.
